lancaster



( 5 Sheets-Sheet 1..

J. H. LANCASTER.

GRAPPLB, BUCKET, &c.

No. 605,489. Patented June 14,1898.

WITNESSES (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J., H. LANCASTER.

GRAPPLE, BUCKET, &c. N0.- 605,489. Patented June 14, 1898.

QQIIIZI /ITNESSM 5 Sheets-Sheet 4..

(N0 Modl.

J. H. LANCASTER.

GRAPPLE, BUCKET, 82.

No. 605,489. Patented June 14, 1898.

WITNESSES-.- $1M;

w: cams Pucks co, PuoTo-umo. WASHXNGTON, n, c

Nrrn STATES a'rn'r f fission.

JAMES H. LANCASTER, on NEW YORK, N, Y.

GRAPPLE, BUCKET, 8w.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. eoaesau teciqune 14,1898.

Application filed Fe bruary Q, 1897. Serial No. 622,697. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I,JAMEs H. LANCASTER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'Grapples,Buckets, &c., of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has reference to grapples, dredges, or diggingapparatus, and relates more particularly to the type of constructionoperated on the double-chain principlet'. 0., one chain for opening orclosing the bucket or blade sections and a, second chain for suspending,raising, and lowering the grapple, dredge, or digging apparatus.

The object of the present invention is to render such a constructionsimple and efficient by providing a head to which the raising andlowering chain is connected and to which head is directly attached asecond chain which passes around a sheave operatin g the opening andclosing of the bucket or blade sections, the said second chain being ledthrough the head and thence to the hoisting-drum.

A further object of the present invention is to lower the plane inwhichthe pulley controlling the links of bucket or blade sections is located,thusdispensing with parts and making it more compact and increasing itsefliciency by permitting it to operate nearer to the work.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, Figures 1, 2,'and 3 area side, end, and plan view, respectively, of a clam-shell bucketembodying one form of my invention. Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged detailviews showing in plan and side elevation the head from which the bucketis suspended and which serves for the attachment and guidance of thesuspending-chain. Fig. 6 embraces enlarged detailed views of thesuspending-yoke.

Figs. 7 and 8 arevertical side and end elevations of a clam-shell bucketin a closed position and constructed in accordance with my presentinvention. Fig. 9. is a view similar to Fig. 8, but showing the bucketopen. Figs. 10 and 11 are a vertical elevation and plan view,respectively, showing the improvements applied in connection with afouropening and closing chain.

prong grapple. Figs. 12 and 13 are a vertical elevationand plan view,respectively, of a skeleton form of grapple and indicating theinterchangeability of the general construction. Figs. 14, and 15 are aside and detail plan View, respectively, showing the arrangement ofremovable point or shoe for the blade or digging sections.

In the several constructions of grapples, buckets, dredgers, and kindreddigging and excavating apparatus. heretofore devised by me the bucket orblade sections were suspended from a head and caused to relatively openor close by vibrating connections with levers inwardly extending frombucket or blade sections. While such arrangement has proven highlysatisfactory, I have found that it can be made more compact in itsconstruc tion and efficient in its operation by pivotally attaching theupper ends of the lever connections with asheave, around which passesthe A housing or case is provided for the sheave, which guards andguides the chain passing around the sheave.

The head 1 is in the form of a casting of the shape best illustrated inFigs. 4 and 5 and comprises a body portion 2, having a circularperforation 3, and parallel extensions 4 4 at one side, and each ofwhich terminates in an ear 5. Both the main parts of the extensions andthe ears of the same are provided with transverse perforations 6 '7, theperforations 6 being of square configuration.

(See dotted lines, Fig. 4,and full lines, Fig. 5.)

Within the perforations (ibear the squared portions of a small shaft 8,Figs. 1, 3, 8', and

edge portions of the bucketsections 11 11.

It will be noted that the pair of bars 10 10 hung from each pivot areslightly bent, so that they connect withthe bucket-section at a point ofalinement, thus aflfordingbetter rigidity and regularity ofconstruction.

The squared portions of the shaft 8 at the sides of the casting andwithin the pivotal engagement of the rods 10 bear in square f thebucket-sections are fulcrumed.

openings 12 in the lower ends of a liftingyoke 13, (see Fig. 6,)centrally to which the raising and lowering chain 11 is connected.

Instead of having the bell-crank levers 15, attached by links 16 to asecond casting or block in which is vertically swiveled a sheave aroundwhich is passed the opening and closing chain as heretofore constructedby me I pivotally connect said links 16 to the ends 17 of a short shaft18, bearing in the vertical sides of a semicircular case or housing 19,the engagement of the links with the shaft being maintained by end nuts20, as shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9.

Upon the shaft 18 is mounted a sheave 21, having a grooved periphery andto a great extent contained within the case or housing 22. The bottom ofthe latter is centrally provided with a perforated offset orprojection22, which is adapted, when the bucket is in an open position, to contactwith the single bearing-shaft 23, Fig. 9, upon which The perforation inthe offset serves to drain the case or housing. The capacity andpenetrating effect of the grapple is enlarged and increased bysubstituting the two bearing-shafts, as

- shown in Fig. 1.

Under some circumstances, particularly in the matter of land-dredging, Iprefer to plug the opening in the offset, so that oil may be introducedinto the casing to lubricate the closing and opening chain while passingaround the sheave.

A bolt 24 bears in the cars 5 5, and has secured thereto between saidears one end of the bucket-closing chain 25, which descends and passesaround the sheave 21, and is thence led upward and through the circularopening 3 in the head. The position of the sheave 21 within the case orhousing is such that while said chain is free to move with said sheaveit is positively guided thereby and is not liable to slip or becomeaccidentally displaced therefrom.

The engagement of the square portions of the shaft 8 withcorrespondingly-shaped openings in the suspending-yoke and head insuressame being maintained horizontally at all times for holding theclosing-chain in correct position.

The provision of theisolated circular opening 3 in the body of the headand the leading of theclosin g and opening chain therethrough insuresthe proper guidance of the latter and permits it to work freelywithout-the liability of its being interfered with by the other chain orits connection.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the head is not onlyof simple and inexpensive character, but in connection with the severalcontiguous parts constitutes a highly-efficient arrangement for securingthe desired object. Moreover, the number of connections is materiallyreduced. Those edges 27 of the bucket-sections 11 which are brought incontact when the sections are closed are provided with projecting ears28, which overlap and maintain the sections in alinement to secure aclosed joint.

In the clam-shell bucket described I have represented thebucket-sections 11 as being provided at their lower contiguous edgeswith short teeth or tines 26, detachably secured to said sections, so asto be in alternate relation, and designed to impart a greaterpenetrating or assembling quality. These teeth or tines 26 are of suchshape and so secured to the bucket-sections that when the latter areclosed the teeth will be at an angle capable of per- 1 mitting them tobear the weight of the apparatus should it be imposed upon the same. Formany purposes,however,they are omitted.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 I have illustrated the shaft 18 as pivotallysupporting a supplemental casting 18, which is provided on two of itsopposite sides with ears 18, the links 16 16 pivotally depending fromsaid ears for a movable connection with the inner ends of the arms 15,controlling the movements of the bucket-sections 11 11.

The construction last described embodies a positive and simplearrangement of bucketoperating connections, in that but a single arm 15and link 16 is all that is required for each bucket-section 11. Thisarrangement practically secures all the advantages of the leveragesystem of quadruplex character dis closed in the two forms of grapplesillustrated in Figs. 10 to 13, inclusive.

In Figs. 10 and 11 I have represented my improvements as applied to oneof the latter forms of grapples constructed by me. There being, however,four blade or digging sections 11, the lever-operating links 16 arepivotally connected with pivot-bolts 17-, hearing in cars 17 carried atall four sides of the case or housing, the sheave-shaft 18 in thisinstance merely bearing in the housing sides to support the sheave.There being an increased number of depending bars 10 of specialcharacter, the head 1 is simply modified to present a horizontalrectangular frame provided 011 all four sides with ears carryingpivotbolts, it still retaining the provision of the circularguide-opening 3 for the closing-chain.

Figs. 12 and 13 show my improvements as being embodied in a grapple ofskeleton form, the general arrangement of the head, suspendingyoke-sheave 21, its housing, and the lever system being substantiallythe same, the lever system suspending and operating a series of socketedcastings 11, removably carrying tines, teeth, or blades 11, the latterhaving shoulders 11 to enable them to bear ,firmly against and berigidly connected to the casting.

Referring again to Figs. 10 to 12, inclusive, and Figs. 14 and 15, itwill be seen that the point of each blade or digging section is in theform of an independent shoe 29, preferably of the triangular shapeillustrated in Fig. 15, the inner transverse portion of each shoe beingcut away to fit snugly in a correspond- IIO pierced by two paralleltransverse series of bolts 32,.the central four of which pass throughthe plate 31', the shoe, the blade, and the flanges 33 of the casting.The remaining bolts either pass through the plate 31 and the blade orthrough the tie-plate and shoe.

The removable shoe described constitutes an efficient penetrating pointfor each blade or digging section, its connection with the main castingand section being of such a character as to be highly secure, and yet atthe same time not such as to impede the penetrating capacity of eachsection with such point. In the event of breakage of the latter anothermay be readily substituted.

I claim 1. In a bucket, grapple or similar construction, the combinationwith a head, of bucketsections pivotally suspended therefrom bydepending bars 10, movably connected to the outer upper edges of saidbucket-sections, operating-levers secured to the bucket-shaft andconnected by links to a sheave to be positively controlled by the risingor descending movement of the same, together with a chain connected withsaid head, passing around the sheave and led through an independentopening in the head, substantially as set forth.

2. In a bucket, grapple or similar construction the combination with ahead having an opening 3, and parallel extensions terminating in ears,the extensions having square openings 6, a suspending-yoke rigidlyengaged by a shaft 8 seated in said openings and an opening and closingchain connected to a pin bearing in said ears, passing around a sheavecontrolling the bucket-sections, and then guided through the opening 3,substantially as set forth.

3. In a bucket, grapple or similar construction, the combination withahead, of bucketsections, pivotally suspended therefrom by dependingbars 10, movably connected to the outer upper edges of thebucketsections, operating levers positively secured to the bucket-shaftand attached to links, the upper ends of which are secured in the samehorizontal plane as the journals of an operating-sheave to positivelycontrol the opening and closing of the bucket-sections, together with achain connected to said head, passed around the sheave and led throughthe head, substantially as set forth.

4. In a grapple, bucket or similar construction, the combination with ahead, of bucketsections pivotally suspended therefrom by depending bars10 movably connected to the outer edges of said bucket-sections,operating-levers secured to the bucket-shaft and connected by links to asheave-containing case or housing for positively opening and closing thebucket-sections, together with a chain connected with said head ,passedaround the sheave and led through the head substantially as set forth. I

5. In a grapple, bucket or similar construction, the combination withbucket-sections pivotally suspended from a head and havingoperating-levers connected by links to a sheave carrying housing,provided with a lower projection or offset; of a chain connected to saidhead and passed around the sheave in the housing and led through thehead, substantially as set forth.

6. In a grapple, bucket or similar construction, the combination with ahead in a single piece and having square openings in which bear thesquare portions of a shaft 8, from which the bucket-sections aresuspended, of

a lifting-yoke having square perforations engaged by the square portionsof the shaft, together with levers 15, and connections operated by aclosing and opening chain, substantially as set forth.

7 In a grapple, bucket or similar construction, the combination with ahead in a single piece and having shaft 8, and bolt 24. the formersquare bearing in openings 6, said head having an opening 3,bucket-sections pivotally suspended from the shaft 8, and havingoperating-levers connected by links to a housing carrying a sheave, alifting yoke secured by shaft 8, and a closing and opening chainattached to the bolt 24, passed around the sheave and led upward throughthe opening 3, substantially as set forth.

8. In a grapple, bucket or similar construction, the combination withsections pivotally suspended from the head and having theoperating-levers actuated by the raising and lowering chain, of a seriesof castings carrying the blade or digging sections and recessed asdescribed, together with independent shoe or point sections, flush withthe digging-sections and having a shoulder bearing against the castings,and a fish or tie plate 31, the whole being arranged and bolted,substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York, in the countyof New York and State of New York, this27th day of November, A. D. 1896.

JAMES II. LANCASTER.

Witnesses:

LOUIS WOHL, N. C. FISCHER.

